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MapMaster Skills Handbook
MapMaster Skills: Comparing Globes and Maps
Globes and maps are used frequently in geography. To make the best possible use
of maps and globes, you need to understand how they relate to one another and
what kind of information each can provide.
Directions: Read the information about globes and maps below. Then, answer the
questions that follow. Use a separate piece of paper for your answers.
Globes. A globe is the most accurate way of showing the world’s surface. It is a
scale model of the earth, showing actual shapes, relative sizes, and locations of
landmasses and bodies of water. A globe also provides accurate information about
distances and directions between two points. Globes, however, are very small
representations of the earth. Even a large globe cannot show much detail. Also,
globes are difficult to carry around, and you can look at only one half of a globe at
any one time.
Maps. Maps are flat representations of the curved surface of the earth. Because
they are flat, they can be shown in a book. They can be folded up and used for
planning trips. They can show very large areas or very small areas. They are
flexible tools that can provide large amounts of information very efficiently. Maps
are not as accurate as globes, however. To create a flat representation of the curved
surface of the earth, something has to be distorted. You can understand this by
studying the illustration below. The surface of the globe has been “peeled off” and
cut along the lines of longitude. The resulting map is not easy to read.
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1. What advantage does a globe have over a flat map?
2. What are the main disadvantages of a globe?
3. What advantages do maps have over globes?
4. Why are maps less accurate than globes?
5. What does the illustration on this page tell you?
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